Editor’s note: This article was written before the most recent games. The game against City mentioned in the last paragraph has already taken place. We will have an update on the latest football games soon.
The Clippers Varsity Football team has been off to a slow start with a 0-2 record in two very close games.
In the first game of the year, the very young Clippers looked to kick off the season with a good start against Lake Clifton. The Clippers had a hard time stopping runs throughout the game, yet towards the end of the game the Clippers defense was clicking on all cylinders and stopping the Lake Clifton offense. On the last drive, Clippers quarterback Telin Cabean fumbled, which was the last play of regulation. The final score was 8-6 with Lake Clifton taking the win over our Clippers.
The Clippers looked to make a comeback win against Guilford Park High School. The game got off to a slow start for both teams with a 0-0 game going into halftime. Throughout the 2nd half, both teams made plays. The Clippers struggled a bit, but on their last hope, Cabean delivered a 40 yard touchdown to Tyshawn Sneed to tie the game 14-14. Unfortunately, with 45 seconds left, Guilford Park found a way to score with a Hail Mary pass to the back of the endzone for the win.
This week, the Clippers look to get their first win of the season against the City Knights on Thursday evening at 3:45 p.m. at Patterson. The Clippers will be playing without DE/OT Machi Thompson, RB/LB Aaron Washington, and RB/LB Marquise Brown. WR/CB Matt is also out with a ankle injury.
Transphobia is a huge problem here at Patterson and in the world. Transphobia means that a person is prejudiced against transgender people. One example of a transphobic act is purposely calling a transgender person by a name or pronoun that they do not identify with. Instead of respecting someone’s gender identity, transphobes insist that a person is the gender that matches the biological sex of the body they were born into.
I say this transphobic behavior has to stop! In my experience, I’ve been harassed about being FTM (female to male). The people who always said I was not a boy kept saying I was a girl no matter how many times I corrected them that I am not a girl. Transgender people have feelings too. They are valid as who they are.
I always give respect to others but in return most people do not respect me at all. Transgender people take a while to process their transitions (especially as teenagers) and it takes a few years to fully change the testosterone and estrogen hormones. For me, it took forever just to convince my dad to cut my hair shorter than it used to be. When transphobia happens, the transgender people feel very uncomfortable and unsafe.
Transgender people have gender dysphoria every day and it does not feel very good. Gender dysphoria refers to psychological distress that results from an incongruence between one’s sex assigned at birth and one’s gender identity. I have the biggest gender dysphoria ever. It ain’t even funny. I experience this feeling every day, all day. There is no reason to add to the stress that transgender people already experience by being disrespectful to them.
Making fun of transgender people is not cool at all. It causes a lot of emotional damage to FTMs (female to males) and MTFs (male to females). I have been called offensive slurs before. Listen to the transgender people who say a word is offensive to them, like the “T” slur. When transgender people say it, it’s fine for them, but when others say it without knowing the realmeaning of it, it is offensive.
Everyone wants to be respected for who they are. Gender identity is a very complex and personal thing, but if we just listen to what people tell us about themselves and treat everyone the way that we would want to be treated, the world will be a better place.
Patterson High School has had a school uniform policy for years and many students, including myself, don’t agree with it.
One reason why Patterson High School made students start wearing uniforms is because there used to be a lot of students who would go into neighborhoods and mess around and do disturbing things and with the uniform you’d be able to identify where they are coming from. Another reason they added the uniforms is because there were some students wearing inappropriate clothes. The main reason why they made uniforms is to stop outsiders who don’t belong here from coming in.
However, I think that’s dumb because the school used to make us scan ID cards before coming in and if you don’t scan, you can’t come in–so why stop now? It’s so much more reasonable to do that than to require students to wear uniforms, because anybody can wear a Patterson shirt and khaki pants and pass as a student. That could be even more dangerous because as long as you are wearing anything from Patterson, teachers think you’re from here. Besides, there are many people still in the school not wearing uniforms despite the uniform policy existing, so if they really wanted to see if anybody was coming in who shouldn’t, they still can’t tell.
I disagree with the uniform policy. I think that’s not fair that because of certain students wearing things they shouldn’t, the whole school needs to basically get punished for the actions of a few. Yes, they can say it’s for identification, but there are IDs that can hang around our neck and many other ways to identify Patterson students beside uniforms.
I think they should take uniforms away or make it optional because not everyone wants to wear the same pants every day or the same two shirts all week and many students can’t afford to buy additional uniforms. If someone decides to wear something inappropriate, then let them get punished on their own because what a handful of students do should not result in the whole school is getting punished.
Another reason why I don’t agree with the uniforms is because they’re just short sleeve shirts. The building is cold and even when people are wearing hoodies under the uniform shirt, school staff members ask you to take it off. For now, they’ve run out of the uniform sizes and only have big clothes that don’t fit me. Why would I or anyone want to wear that every day?
Yet another reason why I don’t agree with the uniform policy is that this year they have been making it a much bigger priority than it was the year before and not everyone is able to go before school even starts to pick up their uniform. Then, when we’re actually in school trying to get them, it’s much harder. I didn’t have anything for the first few days of school and went around asking for the uniform but they never had right sizes. Then if I wanted to get any Patterson hoodies or sweatpants, I’d have to pay them myself. They don’t even give out the khaki pants now that school started; I have to go buy my own. There are just a lot of things that not everyone has transportation or money to get.
My friend, Yeimmi, another student who goes to Patterson High School, also does not agree with the school uniforms.
“I don’t like the uniforms because they have only given me a big shirt that doesn’t fit me and I’ve been yelled at a few times to change at school.”, she said. “It’s uncomfortable.”
“I didn’t have time to go get the uniform before school even started and since then I’ve only gotten an XXL shirt.”, Yeimmi added. “I feel like they’re useless and there’s no point in having them. It makes no difference.”
For all these reasons, I think that Patterson should get rid of its uniform policy and let students have the freedom to wear what they want, as long as it doesn’t violate the District’s dress code.
Mental health is something we all deal with every day, whether we realize it or not. Have you ever found yourself just lying in bed, struggling to get up in the morning, even when you know you have to? Or maybe you’ve questioned how you’re really feeling but can’t quite put it into words? This is something a lot of teens today go through. We don’t always understand our mental health, and it can be hard to figure out what’s really going on.
Experts have been talking about this for years, and it’s still a major issue. The American Academy of Pediatrics declared a national emergency in youth mental health a couple of years ago, and the struggle is still real for so many teens. There are warning signs, and a lot of people understand what mental health challenges look like, but for parents and friends, it’s important to really try to understand what someone might be going through. Anxiety and depression are real problems that teens deal with every day. And the only way to help is to be open to talking and really listening.
Another huge part of this problem is the impact of social media. We’re constantly online, scrolling through Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, etc., and it’s almost impossible not to compare ourselves to what we see. Whether it’s how we look, how successful we seem, or what kind of life we’re living, there’s always pressure to measure up to what others are putting on display. And most of the time, that’s just the highlight reel—it’s not real life. But it can make us feel like we’re not enough, which can lead to anxiety and depression. Finding a balance between online life and real life is important to protecting our mental health.
Sometimes, we reach a point where talking to friends or family isn’t enough. That’s when reaching out for professional help can really make a difference. Counselors and therapists are trained to help us make sense of what we’re going through. They offer a safe space where we can talk without feeling judged, and they can help us figure out better ways to cope. If things start to feel overwhelming, seeking out professional help could be the best step toward feeling better. Therapy is nothing to be ashamed of—it’s a tool to help us navigate life when things get tough.
If you don’t have access to a licensed therapist outside of school or you don’t know where to start, you can talk to Ms. Gaither, Patterson’s school psychologist, or to to one of the school counselors, social workers, and other mental health practitioners.
Students in the Esports club practice their gaming skills as they prepare to compete against other schools. (Photo: Mr. Sokolski)
by Jamira Ellison
Patterson High School has a variety of different clubs supporting the interests of students and preparing them for what they want to do as a future career. Some examples of student clubs at Patterson include Next Gen Learning Access (NGLA), the Patterson Press, E-sports, the Jonathan Ogden Club, and Chill Snowboarding.
Mr. Sokolski (better known as “Ski”) is the advisor of the E-sports club.
“The E-sports [club members] play video games competitively, and the games we play are Super Smash Bros, FIFA, Madden 2K, Rocket League, and Brawlhalla.”, explained Mr. Sokolski.
“It’s a lot of fun, and the league is still trying to get going but they still play against other schools in Baltimore City. It’s a great social atmosphere and a great place to make friends.”,
The club plays Super Smash Bros the most, but they are getting more players for the other games and they talk about potential future careers related to video games. Mr. Sokolski wants to focus more on that career aspect of E-sports as the next step for the club, so that students can have future careers in E-Sports.
Mr. Sokolski is looking for a co-advisor so the E-Sports club can expand.
“So far it is just me. I am the only coach for E-Sports but I could use another hand.”
All Patterson students are welcome to join the E-Sports club.
“You can find me in room 363. We meet Tuesdays or Wednesdays after school so feel free to come on down and join and have fun.”, said Mr. Sokolski.
For those who prefer more of an outdoor experience, there is Chill Snowboarding.
“The Chill Snowboarding program focuses on teaching kids how to snowboard.”, explained advisor Ms. Mahoney.
“They take weekly trips to the mountains to learn those skills.”
One goal they would like to accomplish this year is to apply for a grant to pay for the group’ s activities. Chill Snowboarding has qualified for this grant for the past 12 years and would like to receive it again this year.
Chill snowboarding isn’t necessarily a club in the traditional sense but more of a program. Students are hand picked to be invited to participate. Students can request to join but Ms. Mahoney mainly chooses 12th graders and sometimes 11th graders. Participants have to be athletic and be able to be picked up from where they meet at night.
To find out more about Chill Snowboarding, talk to Ms. Mahoney or Ms. Brooks (who also helps out with the program).
While many of Patterson’s clubs are fairly new, there are others that have been a school tradition for many generations. One such club is the Patterson Press.
“The Patterson Press is the official student newspaper and media club of Patterson High School that is written by students for students and has been around since 1943.”, explained club adviser Mr. Pesa.
“Students should join the Patterson Press because it’s a good opportunity to get their work published and make their voice heard.”, added Mr. Pesa.
“They’re also learning valuable skills that could help them in a variety of careers, and they get service learning hours.”
The main focus is on reporting news about Patterson and the surrounding community, including sports, clubs, activities, and performances. They do that with by conducting interviews, taking photos and videos, and publishing original articles both in print and online at pattersonpress.org.
The Patterson Press also has plans to start producing news broadcasts that students and staff can watch on the TVs and Smart Boards in school, as well as on their YouTube channel. The club will collaborate with Mr. Antoine and the AV Club to to broadcast news to the whole school.
Beyond that, Mr. Pesa is trying to expand the range of articles and videos that the Patterson Press is creating. He is also bringing in a group called Wide Angle Youth Media to train his journalism students in photography skills.
The Patterson Press is looking for more students to join the club.
“I’m in Room 364, so anyone can come up and talk to me to join”, Mr. Pesa said.
Patterson has many amazing clubs that students can join to have fun, learn new skills, and prepare for the future.
A new art club at Patterson is making art for charity.
“There are a lot of students who like art”, said Ms. Marchewka, one of the art teachers at the school.
She would like to use that interest in art to do something positive for the community. She decided to start a new club this new school year for students to create their own individual art and to sell it to raise money for charitable organizations.
Ms. Marchewka has participated in art for charity projects outside of Patterson, so she wanted to bring her experiences to our school this year. Ms. Marchewka loved leading these clubs, so she brought the concept to Patterson so other students can experience it as well.
“I thought it would be a great opportunity to bring that experience to Patterson.”, said Ms. Marchewka.
Ms. Marchewka sent out a Google Form to staff members so they can order commissions of custom artwork. Students will receive service learning hours for their work.
“Currently we are working on a variety of posters and signs for folks.”
Any students who are not working on a commission are making paintings to sell at the Winter Concert and the Spring Arts festival. These paintings will be available for anyone to purchase.
Ms. Marchewka will let the students decide what they want to do with the money and which charities they want it to go to.
“The students will actually decide that,” she explained.
Ms. Marchewka doesn’t know what the charities will spend the money on, because it’s their choice.
“It depends on the charity itself.”, she stated.
After students create original works of art, they will sell their artwork and Ms. Marchewka will be donating that money to any charity that the students in the club choose.
The Art for Charity club meets during Advisory. Currently Ms. Marchewka does not plan to add more students to the club.
“However, if I hear student interest in that, I would consider it for sure.”
The Patterson band gets ready to perform at Back to School Night (Photo: Jamira Ellison)
by MirianMaurizaca
We’re back to school! August 26 was the first day for students at Patterson High School. There are many events being planned to make this school year fun and memorable. There have also been achievements made already.
Our attendance has increased since last year. “I am proud of our attendance rate,” said Principal Myrick.
“Attendance rate went up to 82%. Last year we had a 69% rate of attendance. Also Patterson High School was in the top 10 of high schools for growth and achievements.”
Principal Myrick wants to add on to Patterson’s achievements from last school year.
“This year really focuses on academic achievement,” stated Principal Myrick.
There are also new programs at Patterson High School. There is a program for families that want to learn English or Spanish that will happen after school. For the first semester there is only one class but next semester there will be two classes. Additionally, Patterson High also has dance class and an NGLA program for students to become certified interpreters.
Principal Myrick has many ideas for this school year.
“I’m excited for this school year,” explained Principal Myrick.
One event from last year that will be returning is 405 Day. It will be a community event to invite family and friends to. There are many other events being planned as well, from Spirit Week to cultural celebrations, concerts, plays, and much more.
This school year promises to be a memorable year for all students. This year will bring us new achievements, more goals, and fun activities.
SGA members have a discussion at a citywide meeting (Photo: Mr. Frederick)
Student Government Association (SGA) helps students speak up on issues that go on in their schools. They also help plan events and make decisions regarding how the money is spent on the events. Currently, Patterson only has a few students who are interested in participating. I would highly encourage students to join or even check out some of the meetings because if you aren’t satisfied with some of the things that are going on, you can promote change and possibly even fix the issue.“SGA (Student Government Association) offers a forum for students to have a voice in their school and to also offer a as vehicle how they can voice their concerns to the school administration and look for ways to change the school to make it better for everybody–Students and staff–so that everybody can have an enjoyable time while they are in high school.”, explains Mr. Frederick, Patterson’s SGA faculty advisor.The elected positions in SGA are President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. The president oversees the whole association and focuses on their primary responsibilities. The treasurer focuses on how money is spent on events and the budget we have. The secretary records documents of the SGA and helps with planning and meetings. Lastly, the vice president works with the president, helping with primary issues and solutions. We are currently collaborating with another student group called Catalyst for Change during advisory since we have a small group.
I would also like to mention that students are eligible to run for a city-wide position for the Associated Student Congress of Baltimore City (ASCBC). ASCBC is a city-wide SGA that focuses on bigger issues that impact every student in Baltimore City Public Schools. On October 3rd, Patterson SGA members attended the ASCBC General Assembly, which focused on things that could make our experience as BCPSS students better. We talked about how we could improve high school choice, school lunches, how we could add more robust class courses in our schools, and more.
I am currently running for the Diversity Committee Chair, which targets issues that minority and LGBTQ+ identifying students face in BCPSS. My goal is to ensure equity in every city school and get rid of the stereotypes Patterson and many other city schools have, while also implementing policies to make sure our schools are as inclusive as possible. As a participant, I’d highly encourage students to take this opportunity because it will help you grow as an individual, build your communication skills, give you a sense of accomplishment, and will help you make a change for you and students. If you feel as though you have no voice to speak on issues at Patterson High, think again and join our SGA!
pattersonpress.org 